Vending machine



Feb. 14, 1939. c. R. SPARE ET AL I VENDING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 E E M @wm P f w 5 M m y m 0 Feb. 14, 1939. c. R. SPARE ET AL 0 VENDING MACHINE Filed May 25, 19s? 5 Sheets-Sheet :2

1 6mm! as If? SPF/W5,

CHI/FL 58 H. Laps; E

ATTORNEY Feb. 14, 1939.

c. R. SPARE ET AL VENDING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 v C M Y m mwm rfi Wm N A 551 VRHY mas 2 mm M CC Feb. 14, 1939.

c R. SPARE ET AL I 2,147,32

VENDING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 QQ Q //VV/V7'0RS. 6/07/52 5 ESP/ms QMRLISHLHPSLEY Feb. l4,v 1939. c. R. SPARE ET AL VENDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet S Filed May 25, 1937 zmwsxvrofis. 67/431. ES 5. \SPHRE. 0/15/5155 b! L HPSL Ex UNITED STATES VENDING MACHINE Application May 25, 1937, Serial No. l44,654 2 Claims. (cram-a6)- Our invention relates to a new and useful vending machine and more particularly to a coincontrolled vending machine especially adapted for the display and sale of packaged goods with unlimited individual selectivity.

Our invention still further relates to a vending machine of an extremely simplified construction in which, by means of a single delivery opening and by means of a single coin-control device a W very great, and for all practical purposes, un-

limited variety of packaged material may be dispensed.

Our invention still moreparticularly relates to a vending machine of this character especially fitted for displaying and selling bottled drinks brand, and, if another brand is desired, the money is deposited in a different slot. The same is true in such beverage vending machines as have been attempted, which, as far as we know, have not 80 only had the disadvantage of having a multiplicity of compartments, but which also have not been capable of dispensing bottled beverages which are more desirable since they are sealed and sanitary and since the public prefers packaged 35 goods put out by a manufacturer who commands their good will to bulk merchandise especially in beverages, the origin and preparation of which may be doubtful.

To the above ends our invention consists gentli erally of a trough adapted to receive a refrigerant such as ice, said trough being accessible for drainage and replenishment of the refrigerant without affording access to the bottled beverage being sold. Positioned within and communicating with said trough is a rotary receptacle in which any number of bottles containing different or the same kind of beverage are positioned in a staggered order, means for rotating said receptacle 50 selectively to bring the desired bottle in registration with the delivery opening, and a coin-control device for permitting the opening of the door normally closing said opening only when a single bottle is in proper registration for delivery 55 through said opening, the opening of said door serving automatically to lock said rotary receptacle against further movement.

Our invention furtherprovides means for the return of any coins deposited in the machine and notconforming to the specification of the coin 5 intendedto efie'ct delivery of a bottle;

The full nature and advantage of our invention will be more clearly set forth in the following specification and inconnection with the accompanying drawings in'which: r

Fig. 1 represents a planview of a vending machine embodying our inventon. I

Fig. 2 represents on an enlargedlscale a section on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a sectio n on 1i-ne.3 '5iof Fig. 2. 33

Fig. 4 represents on an enlargedscale a view partly in section and partly inflelevationon line 4-4 of Fig. 1.- I v Fig. 5 represents asection on-line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 represents av'iew partly in plan and partly in section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 represents on an enlarged scale a section on line l--'I of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in which like refer-' ence characters represent like parts and more particularly to Fig. 2 our novel vending machine includes a box or receptacle of any desired size or shape and formed of the vertical walls i and bottom 2 which are suitably insulated. The receptacle is provided with a top cover 3 which is suitably secured to the vertical walls in a permanent or detachable manner. The cover 3 has an extension 8 which is hinged at it! and which may be locked shut at ii. The extension'Bis opened in order to admit cracked ice or other refrigerant to the interior of the receptacle and, if the lock I l is used, the service man has a key toit, or the lock ll may be omitted and a simple latch which permits instantaneous access to the interior of the box may be substituted. In thereceptacle is a trough 12 which is divided by the zig-zag partition i4 into alternating staggered chambers l6 and 8 for the reception of the bottles 20 or 2|. Thetrou'gh l2 may be formed of perforated,

vertical and/or bottom walls so that the cracked ice or other refrigerant may have direct access to the bottles 20 or ill, or the'trough l2 may be in the nature of an open frame Work or the like. 22 designates supporting legs provided with the rollers 24 which carry the weight of the trough [2 with the bottles positioned therein so as to make the latter more freely rotatable. The cover 3 is provided with a central cut-out or opening which is closed in part with the plate glass or other transparent sections 28 through which the G5 tops of the bottles 20 and 2| may be seen. The trough 2 is provided with a hub 38 which extends upwardly through an opening in the cover 3 and to which is keyed at 34 the disc 38 which is provided with the handle 38. 3| designates a sleeve bearing having the flange 32 by which it is suspended from and secured to the cover .3 (see Fig. 2). Between the periphery of the disc 36 and the flange 32 is the ball hearing or other anti-friction element 40, partially supporting the disc 36, hub 38 and trough l2 and facilitating the rotation of said trough, it being noted that the trough I2 is supported primarily by the anti-friction bearings 24. 42 designates a fixed arm carried by the hub sleeve bearing 8| and supporting a springpressed ball 44 which is adapted to engage any oneof a series of notches IS in the horizontal flange 41 of the hub 88 temporarily to hold the trough I2 in position for a purpose hereinafter set forth. Mounted on the cover 3 is an auxiliary cover 58 which is hinged at 52 and-which may be locked to the adjacent vertical wall 01' the container at 54. On the cover 50 is mounted a coincontrol mechanism 58 adapted to open a delivery door 58 hinged at 68 and provided with a transparent portion 62.

Referring to Fig. 4 in which the operation and structure of the coin-control mechanism is diagrammatically illustrated, the coin 88, such as a five cent piece, is deposited through the slot Cl through which it drops into the coin compartment 68, formed of the strip 61 carried by the rocker arm 14. The upper end of the strip 81 is deflected as at 88 to obstruct the opening 84 and prevent insertion of a coin 88 while the rocker arm is in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. If the coin is too small such as a penny or dime, it will pass through the compartment 88, and, if it is too big, it cannot enter the compartment 88, and in either event it falls out onto the inclined guide way 68 to be discharged through the coin return opening 89. If the coin is of the proper size it is retained in the compartment 66 so that, when the lever HI which is pivoted at 13 is moved in the direction of the arrow II, the lug 12 on the arm HI, moves through the slot 15 in the partition 11 and engages the edge of the coin 63 and interlocks the operating lever 10 with the rocker arm 14 which is pivoted at 14:: to the partition 11, it being understood that in the absence of a coin in the compartment 86 the lever 18 can be reciprocated in the slot 15 without in any way affecting the rocker arm 14, the size of the lug 12 being such as to clear the arm 14 in the absence of a coin in the compartment 68. The movement of the lever 10 from the position indicated at A to the position indicated at B moves the rocker arm 14 from the position at C to that indicated at D. This moves the pin 18 at the lower end 18 of the rocker arm 14 thru the horizontal slot 88 and up in the inclined slot 82. When the pin 18 is travelling in the slot 82 it pushes the link 84 in the direction of the arrow 88. This brings the shoulder 86 of the link 84 to bear against the edge of the door 58 and raises it from the closed position shown at E to the partially open position shown at F. With the door 58 only partly open, as shown at F, it is not possible to withdraw either of the bottles 20 or 2| that may be in registration therewith, so that it is necessary for the purchaser to push the door open further from the position shown at F to the position shown at H. When the door 58 reaches the position H it pulls the rocker arm 14 a little further in the direction of the arrow 88, that is,

enough to make the rocker arm 14 clear the lever 10 when the latter is in the position B. This releases the coin 63 interlocked between the lever 70 and the rocker arm I4 and permits it to drop into the coin box 90. The door 58 is now fully open and the bottle registering therewith can be removed.

Referring now to Fig. 7, it will be seen that the door 58 is secured at its hinge to the cam 92 which rides on the roller 84 mounted in the U- shaped head of the pin 86. The pin 96 is normally retained in its upper position by the spring 88; but, when the door 58 is open as at H, the cam 82 forces the pin 98 downwardly into engagement with one of the notches 46 that happens to be in registration therewith as shown in Fig. 2. thus locking the trough l2 against further rotation and preventing the withdrawal of any bottle 28 or 2| other than that registering with the door and authorized to be removed. When the bottle has been removed the door 58 drops shut by its own weight and again assumes the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2 thus returning the rocker arm H to the position C in solid lines in Fig. 4. In this position it is impossible to open the door without dropping a coin and manipulating the lever 18 as described, for the reason that the pin 18 would, if an attempt to open the door is made, bear downwardly in the horizontal slot 88 against the horizontal extension I" in the direction of the arrow I82. As seen from Figs. 1 and 4 the lever 18 is movable in the slot 10:: formed in the coin-control box casing.

While the vending machine has been shown as specifically applied to the sale of refrigerated drinks in bottled form, it is to be understood that it is not limited to that use alone, for, if desired, it can be used for the vending of other packaged material such as boxed candy or the like and that it can further be used for selling hot drinks during the winter time by the substitution for the refrigerant in the outer receptacle and surrounding or communicating with the trough l2 of a steam coil or other heating medium. A still further adaptation of this vending machine is also contemplated inthe sale of multiple packages of the same kind but individually or one at a time which can be accomplished by placing, where the bottles 20 and 2| are, stacks of packages such as one kind of cigarettes in one compartment and another in the next and so on. Similarly, it can be used for dispensing or serving lunches, hot or cold, of the same or of different kinds. The glass windows formed in the cover 3 are made wide enough to afford full visibility but are nevertheless made narrow enough toprevent the withdrawal of either of the bottles 20 or 2| so as to remove the incentive for breaking the glass in an effort to pilfer a bottle.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A vending machine comprising a casing, a cover therefor, a rotatable trough, rollers for supporting said trough on the bottom of said cas ing, a hub extending from the top of said trough through said cover whereby said trough may be rotated from without said casing, oppositely disposed pendant brackets carried by said cover, a ball carried by one of said brackets, a vertically slidable pin carried by the other of said brackets, there being a plurality of circularly disposed recesses in the top of said trough adapted to be engaged by said ball and said pin, a spring carried by said first 'named bracket above said ball for successively forcing said ball in engagement with said recesses, a spring secured around, and normally retaining said pin out of engagement with said recesses, a hinged delivery door carried by said cover, and a cam carried by the hinged end of said door and riding on the upper end of said pin whereby, when said door is opened, said cam depresses said pin into engagement with one of said recesses to prevent rotation of said trough as long as said delivery door is open.

2. A vending machine comprising a casing, a cover therefor, a rotatable trough, rollers for supporting said trough on the bottom of said casing, a hub extending from the top of said trough through said cover whereby said trough may be rotated from without said casing, oppositely disposed pendant brackets carried by said cover, a ball carried byone of said brackets, a vertically slidable pin carried by the other of said brackets,

there being a plurality of circularly disposed recesses in the top of said trough adapted to be engaged by said ball and said pin, a spring carried by said first named bracket above said ball for successively forcing said ball in engagement with said recesses, a spring secured around, and normally retaining said pin out of engagement with said recesses, a hinged delivery door carried by said cover, a cam carried by the hinged end of said door and riding on the upper end of said pin whereby, when said door is opened, said cani depresses said pin into engagement with one of said recesses to prevent rotation of said trough as long as said delivery door is open, and a vertical zigzag partition dividing said trough into an inner and outer series of annularly-disposed staggered compartments.

CHARLES R. SPARE.

CHARLES H. LAPSLEY. 

